Operations

A happy foal in a field

breeding

Our breeding activity is small yet ambitious. The Rowan Willis Equestrian Team owned and successfully campaigned Rabanna Van Costerveld, dam of the famous sire Cornet Obolensky. Rowan’s experience competing Rabanna, long before Cornet became the famous and exceptional sire that we know today, taught Rowan to focus on breeding only from horses of the highest level. Our breeding program targets highly performed dam lines and understands the importance of breeding for athleticism, character, sound mind and positive attitude.

The first horse bred by the Rowan Willis Equestrian Team was Premier E’toile (by Premier des Hayettes). His dam was a highly successful thoroughbred mare called Hollywood Star with whom Rowan won the Australian Junior, Young Rider and Senior Championships. When Rowan brought Premier E‘toile to England he placed in the Foxhunter final and jumped successfully up to 1,55m.

Our team now includes two 6 year-old mares, Wellington Grandorie and Wellington Grey Goose whom Rowan bred and owns in partnership with Lord and Lady Mornington. Rowan had much success with Grandira, the dam of these two exceptional mares, competing her up to 1,55m at many of the UK’s most prestigious shows. Both young mares are proving to continue the success by winning international age classes. In 2017 Wellington Grandorie won a class at the world young horse championships in Zangersheide.

We are currently working on a breeding program that works alongside the competition schedule of our best mare Blue Movie (Chacco Blue x Showtime[Pilot]).

Wellington Grandorie's prize for winning a YH class at Zangersheide in 2017

Producing

We are passionate about developing young horses. This applies to our homebred horses as well as horses who are with us to be produced. We develop them with patience and focus on their long-term career prospects.

During his career so far in the UK, Rowan has qualified for the Foxhunter Final 6 times. Rowan has produced and ridden all his current Grand Prix horses from an early age up to where they are today.

There is nothing more rewarding than to see young horses learn, gain confidence and perform well.

Rowan & Shark at the AL SHIRA'AA CSI4* in Hickstead, UK in 2017

sale

Our horse sales operation focuses on quality rather than quantity. Our fine pool of horses for sale will range and vary from young horses to GP horses, we deal in prospective purchases for amateurs as well as professionals.

We sell knowledgeably and responsibly and are more than willing to assist finding horses from outside our stables. We source suitable horses through our soundly established network of colleagues in the show jumping industry.

In the past we have produced and scouted horses for top riders worldwide, ambitious juniors, Olympic Gold medallists and keen amateur riders.

We take on horses to be sold and if required, we will campaign them to create a solid career record before going on to advertise them through our extensive network of professional contacts.